The 31st Hunger Games
by Seryna RPC
Summary: An unlikely alliance told from the perspective of Grace of District Eight and Jorge of District Nine. They tell of the formation of a trading alliance that paved the way to eventually blending the 'River Alliance' and the 'Cavern Alliance'. The underdogs of the 31st Hunger Games, this alliance battled the Careers and the elements alike. The Arena was an ever changing season.
1. Chapter 1

The sound of water drops are a slow, incessant noise. Grace's fingers are clenched under her chin for warmth as she breathes onto them. She flexes her fingers, hissing in pain as the cold curls them back into claws. Beside her, something brushes her back and she fights the urge to scream. It is pitch black around her, rendering Grace completely blind. There are no stars above her; no moon looking down. The cavern feels both too large with its cold drafts and yet cramped; pressing her in close to the others.

She hears the steady breathing of her two companions beside her. Lowering her hand along her back, she feels the cool, clammy skin of her sleeping friend. Grace gingerly lays down on the hard ground beside her partner; feeling every twinge and shiver that shakes Darcy's slight frame. Nothing in her sixteen years had prepared her for this. I'm the lucky one, she reminds herself. Then she reminds herself not to forget about Darcy and Robb; who were easily as miserable as she is tonight.

The three teens had almost died today.

Thinking about that afternoon brought the memories, fresh and raw flooding into Grace's mind. Her breathing quickened as she remembers.

"Get twelve!"

Someone snarled, right by Grace's head. Grace had turned then; her eyes automatically seeking the thirteen year old girl from District Twelve. The girl stood at only 5 feet, four inches. She looked scrawny. Darcy's skin was the color of milk; her dark brown hair a stark contrast against her slim shoulders. Darcy had licked her lips; crouched on the grass in front of Cornucopia.

"Don't know why you're even trying."

She recalled the sweet, minty scent on the breath of the beautiful blonde girl who had spoken. Glitter of District One was the very image of strength and beauty. Classical thin, slightly upturned nose. Perfectly spaces eyes, slightly upturned at the corners and they were the color of sparkling sapphires. Grace had the absurd idea of a chiseled statue of Glitter in a square somewhere, admired by school children. Glitter was statuesque with that haughty, disdainful expression as she looked down at Darcy, her pretty features contorted by hate. Hate had blossomed in Grace's own heart as she watched Glitter's hands tighten around her sword as she approached Darcy. The nails were decorated with sparkling blue polish; set with rhinestone flowers.

The two tributes of District Eight had bull rushed Glitter; knocking the pretty girl onto the ground. Garreth weighed as much as the muscular girl from one. Grace gave up an inch in height and perhaps thirty pounds of muscle to the girl who was a year older than she. Glitter's perfect blonde hair spilled onto the ground. Seeing the hair in the dirt had filled Grace with a sense of euphoria. She'd resisted Garreth's pull on her arm, kicking out at the girl while she was down.  
How absurd, Grace had thought; kicking dirt into Glitter's face. She felt the satisfaction as Glitter spat and coughed, rolling on her back. Glitter's athletic recovery had felt like a knife to Grace's heart. Darcy and Robb had shouted 'Run!" to them and bolted for the greenery.

Grace and Garreth had taken off running, abandoning any pretense of fighting. The shouts of angry young men had sounded as she and Garreth had plunged into the hot; moist green tree line surrounding Cornucopia. Grace had looked away, looked forward at Darcy's small back. The girl was so small; the ferns seemed to swallow her up when she jumped into them.

Behind Grace, Garreth had screamed once.

"Garreth?"

Grace turned and jumped back the way she had come, towards Garreth. She jarred her shoulder against a spiky tree, grasping its rough bark for balance. Her foot had snared on a long, fuzzy vine. Grace kicked at it, having the irrational fear that it was trying to pull her down to the jungle floor. Grace came free, falling backwards with the force of the exertion and the sudden freedom from the vine.

Grace sits up on the warm dirt and surveys the jungle. The air is warm around her, uncomfortably warm. A bead of sweat drips down her forehead. The dampness makes her shirt cling to her body. Grace rubs her hands on her pant leg, brushing off the dirt. Garreth does not appear behind her as Grace expected. She had seen him moments before... had he tripped?

Grace went to a knee, scanning the ground for Garreth's body. The ground was moist and spongy. As she moves; her foot steps spring back up. The dark haired girl walked over ferns in the direction that she'd last seen Garreth.

"Garreth, come on -"

The sun glinted off of a gold encrusted bracer that brushed a fern aside a mere two feet from the path that Grace's alliance had taken. Grace had thrown herself to the floor and held her breath. Glitter and Max stepped into the greenery, standing side by side. Glitter held a delicate but serious looking hand axe. Max wielded a broad axe that looked as big as Grace's head. The king and queen of the careers had those disdainful expressions as they scanned the area. Grace closed her eyes. Her ribs ached; fighting for air. The moist jungle had fallen silent.

Grace risked a breath and looked up. A green snake slithered over the fern immediately in front of her, a bare three inches from her hand. Grace delicately pulled her arms back and rolled to the left. Once on her belly, she crab walked behind a squat palm. She'd watched for several breaths; scanning the jungle for Garreth. The two careers had walked away from Grace, stopping to look up the curved trees topped with spiky leaves. One dropped to a knee, whispered "Blood".

The qaurry emitted a sharp shriek when Max grabbed her forearm and hauled her to her feet. The blonde from District six, Grace thinks. What was her name?

"No more Olivias." Glitter stated coldly, impaling the girl even as Max immobilized her. Max discarded the girl impassively. Grace stares into the girl's face, unable to swallow. The girl was lying on her side, her breath coming in quick, halting gasps. Her sharp scream stuck in the Jungle; making a lump rise in Grace's throat. Grace had not responded for her cry for help. Grace remained still as the careers watched the girl die...

Grace's eyes close tight against the memory; trying to force it away. Grace found herself shivering uncontrollably, recalling the startling blue of the girl's eyes. Like a bluebird that she had glimpsed on television; once. It seemed so far away. After a very long time, Grace's chocolate brown eyes slid shut and she drifted off to sleep. 


	2. Chapter 2

_Before Dawn, Day 1 of the Thirty First Hunger Games_

Grace awoke to whispers. She straightened and rubbed a sore spot on her shoulder, allowing that the cavern floor was the most uncomfortable surface she'd ever encountered. She raised her eyes skyward. There was the dark purple disc above their heads, the color of a dark night sliding towards dawn. Grace drew her knees in close to her chest, rubbing her legs to get the chill off.

A flashlight clicked on and delicately was placed between them so that they could see one another in the dim outline.

"Did you sleep well?" Rob asked from her left side.

"No." Grace confessed. "It was too cold to sleep."  
Rob placed an arm around the girl's shoulder, squeezing slightly. The movement of air brought fresh cold to Grace's face and neck, but warmth spread across her shoulders. Someone tugged the blanket, ensuring that it spread evenly across their laps.

"Thank you." Grace said, shivering all the same but feeling less alone. The light gave her some relief from the dark. She turns and scans the cavern, whispering.

"How big is this place?"  
The light was picked up as Darcy shined it to the far wall. The flashlight showed the shiny, wet far wall. The wall was brown, slick with drops of water. Grace stood and walked to the wall. The tribute from district Eight ran a finger down the wall. It broke under her touch and she withdrew her fingers, turning to hold them to the flash light beam. Red - brown clumps were rolled between her fingers as she peered at her hand.

"I think it's clay. Or mud."

Grace stated, rubbing her hand on her pant leg. She now stood underneath the slice of sky and looked upwards, running a hand along the wall that rose far above her head. She could feel the hard juts of rock that composed this wall. Grace ran a hand along the stone wall as she walked along the wall, counting her steps. In the dim cavern, she was forced to walk in halting steps with both hands in front of her face, despite Darcy leading the flashlight beam. All too soon, Grace hit the far wall. The flash light beam was too dim to make out the details, but Grace pressed the palms of her hands against the wall.

"This one is stone. Pitted stone." She noted.

"The cavern is about twelve feet long." Grace determined. She counted her steps to return to Darcy's side.

"By maybe twelve feet deep." The dark haired girl resumed her seat besides Darcy. "It's big enough for us... if wet and cold."

The three had climbed down the rock wall in the afternoon the day before. It looked much more intimidating in the dark. Drips of water pecked at her face. Grace grimaced and wiped her face with a sleeve, hurriedly ducking down under the tarp lean to that she had erected.

"Did either of you wake up for the Anthem?" Grace questioned hopefully. She had no idea where Garreth was, still.  
"No." Darcy frowned. "I've never run so much in my life."  
"I know what you mean. I was so tired." Grace rubbed at her eyes, shaking off the clutches of sleep. The cold helped.

"It's not dawn yet," Grace frowned at the plum colored sky. "- but I don't think that I can go back to sleep."

"We can move around and get warm." Rob suggests.  
"It's too wet down here. We get damp and we'll get sick." Grace protested, drawing herself under the blanket.

"No. Up there." His dim from jabbed skyward. Grace lifted her eyes to the rock wall dubiously.

_Out of the cavern_

The three scrabble up the wall and heave themselves onto the crisp brown grass above. Grace immediately reached out and touched the long sticks that Rob had gathered during the flight from Cornucopia. The sticks were knotty wood and mostly straight, about five feet long. Grace hefted hers in two hands and started forward, jabbing the shadows experimentally. The makeshift staff was no masterwork weapon that she'd learned at the Training Center, but it made her feel slightly less vulnerable.

The three looked around the cavern entrance, taking in the spindly trees that looked like black fingers in the night. By light of day they had looked like excellent cover. The trees had marked the beginning of a forest - green bushes and old trees.

"Food will be found in there." Rob stated, jabbing the dark forest.  
"You want to root around there at night?"

Grace's tone was dark. She stared at the trees for a moment, frowning at the long shadows and odd sounds as the breeze moves through the forest.

"Every noise would sound like Blood Panther to me." The tribute from District Eight argued softly. "I remember that fight where one was stalking the Big Alliance after Rowan's surgery. It was black as night..."

"We need food." Rob stated quietly. "I can turn on the flash light to check bushes for fruit when we find them, but I want to travel without the light. Less chance of others seeing us."

"I don't want to go in there." Grace turned towards the opposite way, to the jungle. It was the last place where she had seen Garreth, her district mate and friend.

"I'm sure he's fine." Darcy's small hand touched Grace's shoulders. "You're thinking of Garreth, aren't you?"  
"He's been out there all night." Grace whispered. "I have to try and find him."

She felt defensive at the long silence that followed.

"He's alone. Give me until dawn." She hedged.  
"Dawn is in about an hour." Rob studied the horizon. "Can you find your way back to the cavern from the jungle?"

"Yes." Grace assured. She felt a sudden tug of emotion inside.

"But what about you?" Grace turns to look at Darcy, looking down at the younger girl's face. She looked open and trusting as Darcy looked up to Grace, still standing close to her. "I promised to help defend you. "

Grace's brown eyes turn to match Rob's own dark brown eyes.

"Will you be all right out in those woods without me?" The girl wondered.

"We are more comfortable in the forest than you are, Grace. " Rob reminded gently, placing a calloused hand on Grace's shoulder.

"I can't ask you to leave your friend out there if he might be alive. It's not fair of us. Garreth was our friend, too. We pledged to help feed and clothe you two. Garreth kept his promise to defend us - and maybe this is a consequence of his promise."

A lump arose in Grace's throat. She felt a sudden alarm as she realized that Darcy and Rob were becoming true friends to her. No longer were they temporary allies. In this terrible place, friends were a threat to her own well being. She realized now that she may have made a mistake in choosing her alliance. They were selfless and she wondered if she'd lead these two to their deaths. Wordlessly, she placed her hand over Rob's hand on her shoulder. She squeezed and looked downwards, unsure of how to express her gratitude that Rob and Darcy understood her need to look for her district mate, to try and understand why he hadn't followed her.

Grace turned on her heel and walked away, striding into the darkness.

"Quietly."

Darcy whispered at Grace's back. Grace halted and was a bit cross that even now, Darcy was thinking of Grace's safety. Was there any deceit in that thirteen year old girl? Or was she more child than woman, trusting that Grace would return to keep her promise? Grace bit the inside of her cheek, hating that her first instinct in this odd feeling of guilt and friendship was to flee. Taking Darcy's advice, Grace looked down at the ground. She picked her way forward, now mindful to avoid stepping on debris and ground cover that would signal her presence.

_Alone in the Jungle_

All too soon, Grace was alone in the night. Although she'd argued for it, she was immediately afraid as the tall, spiky plants of the Jungle came into view. She half turned to see if Rob and Darcy had followed her, but they had not. They were off foraging. Grace crouches slightly and faces forward to study the greenery. In the darkness, the leaves seem to glisten. The leaves were so dark that they appeared to be black. She seeks the jewel colored eyes of the hunting beasts that had haunted her nightmares as a child, both anxious and on some level, excited. The 25th Hunger Games had been one of her favorite Games to date; with the brave and loyal district seven who had performed the only successful surgery in the arena. As the young patient had been recovering, Blood Panthers had come to call on the alliance.

Panthers frightened her on a very deep level. They were quiet and hard to see. She couldn't imagine fighting one. This jungle looked to be an ideal place for one to hide and lie in wait. Grace looked down at the stick in her hand, tightening her grip on it in her right hand. She swung it over her hip so that she could carry it length wise. She experimentally prodded the clump of ferns that seemed to stretch towards her at her approach with the tip of her staff. They sprung back and then resumed their position, inert. _You're being silly. _Grave chided herself. Yet in this darkness, she recalled the conviction that **something** here had grabbed onto her the day before...

Grace stepped into the Jungle and immediately noted a rise in temperature. It was easily ten degrees warmer here than in the forest. Grace fought against complacency, reminding herself that this was where the blue eyed girl had died. Grace steps forward slowly, scanning the squat, spiky plants the curved trunks of the trees for danger. Something scurried by to her left and Grace jumped aside, bringing her staff across her torso to parry. She caught only a glimpse of something small in the underbrush, moving away from her.

_"Garreth?"_ She risked a whisper. _"Garreth, it's Grace. Are you out here?"_

Grace took a hesitant step forward and studied the ground. She recalled that the spongy, moist ground had hidden her footsteps earlier. While it may have helped to hide her from the career pack, it worked against her finding Garreth's tracks. Not that she could separate his from say, Glitter's, Grace admitted. She took another turn and studied the way that she had come. When she turned back around, she felt a sudden stab of alarm. She crouched and kept both hands secure on her staff.

Light was glowing in the jungle ahead of her. Grace moved into a slow three point crawl, one hand carrying her weapon alongside her. Could it be Garreth? Why would he risk light? To her, light seemed like a way to signal your location to enemies. Her mind was racing, hoping that this wasn't some trap to lure some stupid girl into a trap. Yet Grace had the urge to at least look at the source of the light. If her partner was out here, she had to find him.

_I left him. I left him alone out here all night long._

Grace slowly moved forward and found herself at the edge of the Jungle. Looking out ahead, she recognized the killing ground of the Cornucopia. She was apprehensive and turned to where she'd last seen the four Careers in the jungle. Fear made her breaths come in quick gasps that she didn't seem to be able to control. This was where she had nearly died. This was where Garreth had vanished from her side. Garreth had made an impression on her in the short time at the training center. He had always been by her side, quick with a reassuring smile or an attempt at a joke. He wasn't particularly funny, but he seemed uncomfortable when people were upset. Garreth had seemed like a guy that she could rely on. She could not believe that he let them become separated willingly.

_He's not **dead.**_

Grace looked out over the spiky leaves and had a sharp pang of alarm. Two forms were moving on the flat oval shaped ground surrounding the horn. They were back lit by some sort of electric torch planted in the ground. The forms were more slender than she thought the males ought to be, marking these people as Circe and Glitter, most likely. She could see some sort of weapon lashed to their belts - swords, perhaps. The two girls were carrying a large trunk between them. The wealth of the Horn, Grace realized. She turned and studied the horn, scanning for differences. When she had last seen it, back packs and bags had been strewn almost carelessly, forming the outer ring of the horn. The cases and more valuable weapons had been on an inner circle around the horn. She could see the occasional outline and glint of metal that suggested some gear was still untouched. Yet the big, tantalizing pile of gear was considerably smaller than when she had last seen it. She remembered seeing a beautiful wooden staff that gleamed lying over a plastic tub.

Grace squatted in the jungle and watched the careers for a few moments. The girls had left the heavier tubs for last and seemed to be dragging them more often than not. Where were the boys? Grace turns and scans the flat area, not seeing them at all. Grace turned her attention back to the girls and saw that they were dragging the tubs towards the opposite side of the jungle ring that Grace was on. She could barely make out some drag marks that suggested some more tubs may have been taken that way, winding out of sight. Grace crawled forward to get a better look, freezing in place as she emerged from the jungle. She waited for a moment, watching the edge of the 'drag path' that she could see. No one emerged. She studied the girls bent over their load and neither girl seemed to notice her.

The girls were now at least forty feet from her. If they continued down the path, they would move out of sight of her when they passed into the fronds. Grace debated her action for a moment and decided to take a quick peek at the flat Cornucopia ground. If Garreth had been driven back there, there could be a sign of his... death. Grace forced herself to act and raced forward, bent down with her staff occasionally smacking her side. She threw herself down to the ground parallel to the pile of goods after twenty feet of running. The goods ought to block her if the girls came back on the same path. Grace lay still, listening. No sounds of alarm. She drew herself to her feet and sprinted forward, kneeling beside the first tub that she came to. It was about two feet tall and half as wide. Not a great hiding place, but Grace crouched there as she scanned the flat floor. She saw two bloody patches of dirt; but she could connect these to deaths that she had seen. After a few seconds of scanning, Grace decided that there was no third. Garreth had not been dragged back here.

"I'm not doing another rub tonight." A girl's voice sounded to Grace's left.

Grace contorted her body down beside the tub, holding her breath.

"I'm tired of carrying them, too. The boys can get them when they're back from hunting, if they're so against walking back and forth."

Grace bit her lip as silence stretched. Had they seen her? She resisted the urge to lift her head, stretching her shoulders down over her knees.

"I think that I'll take a nap." One of the girls stated. "Do you want?"

There was a non committal noise. Grace remained still, resisting the urge to shift her weight. Her back had a painful twinge in it, now. Her neck was beginning to ache from being craned down at this angle. Grace closed her eyes and began to count. When she reached thirty, she realized that she had heard no further noises. Grace lifted her head cautiously. With a start, she realized that the light - torch had been extinguished. The area was as dark as the forest. Grace straightened and peered around her tub. There was no sign of Circe and Glitter. Having heard their voices, she had no doubt. Yet now that the immediate threat was past, she had the urge to return to the relative safety of the cavern. Grace stood and and moved quickly to the pile of goods, crouching beside it and peering around to see if the girls were laying on the other side where they could see Grace's return to the jungle. The ground was empty. Empty of threats, Grace allowed. She plucked up a square wooden box and after a quick glance to see if she was observed, opened it.

She studied the small mallet and metal tent stakes for a second, discarding the box where she had found it. This was an opportunity, Grace told herself. Her alliance had time to grab only four things before the careers had been on them. Grace reached into the cluster of tubs in the middle, seeking one of the backpacks that were stacked in between. Something less likely to be missed on the careers return. Grace saw a satchel made of dark brown leather, held together with sturdy buckles. Something about it appealed to Grace. Grace shouldered the bag and with the guilt of a thief, sprinted for the Jungle.


	3. Chapter 3

Grace hurriedly ran through the jungle and woods, slowing only when she reaches the gaping black hole in the ground. Grace lowers herself to her knees and scrabbles down the rock wall, feeling both disapointed and relieved. She had not found Garreth, Grace reflects as she paces in the darkness of the cavern. Without the flash light, this place looked rather frightening. Grace hurriedly rifled through the gear pile and found the small plastic matches container, striking a match. Using the small flickering flame, she found and lit one of the fat candles.

The light immediately improved her mood. Glancing down at the gear pile, Grace places her leather satchel along side it. With trembling fingers Grace unbuckled the sturdy buckles and shook the satchel out onto the floor. The sound of metal clanking startled her for a moment. She surveys metal carabiners, a sharp metal pick and some rope climbing equipment. Excited, she reaches into the inner pocket and finds a coil of cord. Now she could make some improvements to the cavern, at least. Rock climbing equipment could perhaps help them survive this arena!

Grace placed the candle in a crevice of rock and seached the ground, picking up and moving the large rocks and debris to clear the center space. Several of the rocks were split open and hollowed in the middle - something that Grace experimented with. Grace filled three of these such rocks with about a liter of water apiece and hung them with cord near thier sleeping place. The second candle was wrapped in a fold of tarp with the tube of matches beside it.

Grace peered into the gear pile and spread out the second tarp. With the new supplies, Grace was able to create a more stable structure. The blue tarp that had served as a lean to was now re - purposed. The smaller tarp became a three - wall lean to - nine feet above and six feet of ground cover. The cord that suspended the tarp also had a geode with the burning candle in its hollow center, casting the cave in a warm light. The district eight tribute crawls into the lean to, immediately noting that the water drips on her head had stopped. This greatly improved her spirits.

Grace moves the gear pile inside the lean to and frowns over it with concern. There was merely a spare shirt - a rather damp shirt, now. Nine matches in the water proof case. Two candles. The supplies from the leather satchel were what made her most happy as she touched the coil of cord and counted out the supplies for placing supports and creating harnesses. Grace drinks some of her water and notes that she has a mere ten ounces left now. Darcy had another 32 ounce bottle with her, yet they would need to find water quickly.

Grace decides to focus on the shirt, turning it over in her hand. She has no knife, but by using the edge of the carbiner she manages to create a tear in it. Grace rips the shirt into smaller pieces that she weaves into small, tight braids. Darcy mentioned that she had attended the knot tying class - and this could be a useful thing for Darcy.

Although she meant to continue making improvements, Grace's eyes began to feel gritty. I'll close my eyes for a moment, she decided. She blows out the candle and lays down on the plastic tarp, using the leather satchel for a pillow.

"Grace?" Grace shifts in the darkness of the cavern, glancing up to the voice.

"I'm here." Grace replies immediately, quietly. A rope drops down from above and Darcy and Robb descend. The two hesitate at not finding Grace at the shelf, whispering fearfully among themselves.

"Down here." Grace encouraged her friends. "There's a bigger area down here. It will be more comfortable for sleeping. "

The two descend slowly and with trepidtion, not liking the damp clay like walls.  
"You've been busy." Darcy says in surprise at seeing Grace's home making efforts.

"We're not going to starve." Robb grins to Grace. "Hold out your hands."

When Grace obeys, Robb placed a handful of chestnuts into Grace's hands. Darcy held out her leather bag to reveal a generous portion of Goa beans.  
"Not the suguary confections of the Capital, but good nutrition. We saw game trails, too."

Robb revealed the thick, rough rope tied in a loop around his side. "I made rope out of the Cuipo tree and brought some of the dry roots and branches."

"Its not much." Grace frowned.  
"We were only gone two hours. It takes time to gather food and we were worried about leaving you on your own for too long. We'll go get dinner, too."

The three made a fire above on the shelf where they roasted chestnuts, boiled Goa beans and boiled 32 ounces of water. Robb explained how they had bored the water out of the Cuipo tree- hence why it had a potato taste to it.

"But it doesn't taste like mud." Grace said happily. "Oh, I cut up the rest of that shirt. I also braided some... I think they might work for snares."

"They'll work great." Darcy was amazed at the amount of braided cord. "You made this from a shirt?"

"I was an apprentice to a tailor." Grace said humbly. "I worked with my hands all day. Hey Robb - what were you going to do with those big sticks?"

She points to the two five foot sticks laying in the back of the shelf.  
"I don't really know." Robb admitted. "But they were straight and dry... and I sort of saw them as weapons. It'd suck against a career's sword, but better than throwing hazelnuts at them."

Grace picked one up, turning it in her hands. "Its about the size of a spear I used at the training center. If I had a knife..." She ran her hand along the end of the stick.

"Not a bad idea, Robb. I'd feel better with a stick than nothing at all. With this, I wouldn't be afraid to go out."  
"Its yours." Robb grinned. "We shall conquer the world with our sticks."

At about four P.M., the group set out of the cavern.

The fire and candle were extinguised and the three set out, Robb and Grace using the sticks as walking sticks. Darcy brought along the snares and separated from the group early on, explaining.

"No offense, Grace, but you're as loud as a rampaging bear."  
Grace snorted a laugh, waving Darcy on. "Be careful!"

"Careers are loud, too." Darcy winked, gracefully darting through the trees.  
"Panthers were what I'm worried about..." Grace admitted quietly to Robb as she followed him through the woods.

"Not much to a panther."  
"No?"  
"No. We have blunt sticks. The lucky one would be landed on first, the neck snapped or bitten. The second would have a horrifying run or a stupid last stand, but the results about the same."

"Uhh... you really suck at soothing a city girl's fears."

"Oh, you were serious?" Robb looked stricken. "Sorry. But I'm mostly thinking of things that go after the same food sources that we are. Bears."

"You really suck."

Robb led the way to the Cuipa tree. He tapped the water source, filling Grace's water bottle with water. Grace found a sharp rock and carved into the root of the tree, pulling out the fiber within.

"More rope. Or clothing. I could make a blanket with a sewing kit..." Grace stuffed two arm fulls into her pack.

Grace kept watch and followed behind Robb as he scouted for food. Robb then proceeded to astound Grace by burrowing into the ground with the sharp rock, bringing up two handfuls of tubers that he called 'potatoes'. He then harvested the berries and twigs of a Juniper tree, explaining that they could be used to make coffee or tea. Grace gave him such an exasperated look that he laughed out loud.

"We should be more quiet.." He chuckled. "But you're funny. You've never been in a forest?"  
"No. We live in tenements and work in factories. We aren't allowed to pass the fence to the trees."

"I feel bad for laughing now.."  
"No," Grace smiled. "- I really don't see how that's going to become coffee or tea. "

The two continue on while Robb gathered. Robb points out Nettle, mentioning that he heard that it could be used to make string or twine. Grace gathers Nettle to use for that.

"I know how to sew. We could always use something whipped up."

After about an hour of scavenging, Robb and Grace returned to the Cuipo tree where Darcy joined them after some tense moments of waiting . "I set up two snares." Darcy shared. "We might have stew for tomorrow. "  
She tilted her hip belt out, showing another heaping of Goa beans. The three walked to a thick copse of trees and set up a small fire. Grace was anxious at being detected, pacing around in circles with her blunt staff. The other two focussed on cooking. Rob and Darcy boiled the tubers and mixed them with the cooked Goa beans for a bean and root stew. The trio extinguished the fire and moved at a quick jog back to the cavern as the sun hit the horizon. 


End file.
